Why Action in Writing Is Important
Action in Writing Is Essential In writing a life story, it is important to pay attention to three aspects: action, character, and setting. These will enhance your story every time. To neglect these elements is to risk having your story fall flat. In this article, we will concentrate on action. When you use action in […]
Writing Tips for Successful Writing
Recently, someone asked me what are the biggest barriers memoir writers face to being successful. Three came to mind right away… (more…)
Looking for the Right Details
I’ve been thinking again of looking for the right details to enhance your memoir. Of course, details are crucial in the what of a memoir as well as in the who, the where, and the when. They are the facts of your memoir, but there is an expanded role for details in memoir writing. Here […]
Writer’s Block Solutions
Like all long term projects (think raising a family or starting a business or going to college), writing a memoir will have its high points and its low ones. (more…)
Motivation Technique for Writing
All writers eventually need a motivation technique to spur them on to the finish line. They face the atrophy of motivation that seems to come with writing a long memoir over months and months and even over a period of time. Let’s face it: writing can be hard and discouraging. The most interesting of topics […]
Telling the Truth About your Life
In a world where we are constantly being bombarded with subtle—and not so subtle—messages about who we ought to be, it is a bold statement to take a stand for personal truth and authenticity. One of the most transformative statements an individual can make is to tell his/her story with honesty and objectivity. At its […]
Three Tips That Will Keep You in the Memoir-Writing Conversation
Recently, someone asked me what are the biggest barriers memoir writers face to being prolific. The following three came to mind right away. Below, I write about them and offer suggestions for eliminating these impediments to staying in the writing conversation. Writers often put… (more…)
Two Tips For Conveying Theme Effectively
Underlying all of your stories is its theme. The theme is really a message, the global way in which you understand your story — either in its entirety or in its (more…)
Is It a Memoir or Autobiographical Fiction ?
What Makes It Memoir or Autobiographical Fiction? I read a memoir that did well here in Maine (it’s by an excellent Maine writer)—I can’t vouch for its reach in the rest of the country. I’m left wondering whether the author was writing memoir or autobiographical fiction. It’s an interesting book, very well-written in terms of […]